Our Story

Tony and Heidi sat on a dock overlooking Clearlake one afternoon long ago. He had already shared his heart with her and now shared his dream of one day becoming a physical therapist and opening up a gym that would help others become better, just like exercise had made him a stronger and better person. Heidi became a Registered Nurse, Tony continued working toward his goal to become a physical therapist and soon enough they married and began building a family. Tony and Heidi moved back home to the Monterey Peninsula where they had met and began to serve their community and call it home. Heidi worked at Community Hospital and Tony worked for his PT mentor while their 3 children grew up in this same home and attended the same schools as Tony had many years before.

The family pooled resources and opened Carmel Valley Physical Therapy in 2000. This space had a funky little former camphouse for an office, although Tony’s patients were able to use a well equipped gym and share a pool. For 5 happy years, Tony developed the practice and discovered the best land and water physical therapy treatments that created a referral base of physicians locally and as far away as San Francisco, Redwood City, Fremont and Santa Cruz.

In 2005, Tony and Heidi set out to create the best land and water resources for getting people with back, knee, shoulder, foot,neck and hip problems better. The idea was to take the best of each and create a physical therapy clinic with a land gym and an underwater treadmill system. But what to call this new dream clinic? The young family on a drive all joined in the naming contest. Frog Physical Therapy didn’t make the cut, nor did Penguin, Duck or other amphibious critters. One of our children called out ‘Turtle!’ and Tony, associating a turtle with Terrapin from a beloved Grateful Dead Album, “Heard the Call”. A Terrapin is a species of turtle that lives on both land and in water and the name stuck.

As many people got better at Terrapin, the news traveled and once capacity had been reached, the couple set out to create another destination where the team and patients alike become happier by becoming healthier. This additional clinic needed a name and Heidi, having been to more shows than any other not claiming Deadhead status, offered Ripple to relate the continuing progress that multiplies, and magnifies additional improvements in life (it also is an outstanding song sung sweetly by Jerry!) Ripple is intended to continue the movement to improve the lives of all by helping each customer become healthier, happier and even spread that health to their loved ones like a growing wave.

“It’s all a dream we dreamed one afternoon, long ago” Hunter/Lesh, Grateful Dead, “Box of Rain 1970”